Skip to main content

Rear Naked Choke (Mata Leao)

The mata leao (lion killer) is BJJ's most decisive back submission. Applied from full back control using both hooks, it compresses the carotid arteries and is legal at every belt level under IBJJF and ADCC rules.

Reviewed by CNX BJJ
Last updated: June 2026
Safety disclaimer: Practise these techniques under the supervision of a qualified instructor. Apply submissions slowly and with control. Tap early and tap often.

What Is the Rear Naked Choke?

The rear naked choke, known in Brazilian Portuguese as the mata leao (literally, lion killer), is a blood choke applied from back control. You position yourself behind your opponent, insert both hooks (your heels inside their inner thighs), and use a figure-four arm configuration to compress both carotid arteries simultaneously. The result is a rapid loss of consciousness if the tap is not given in time.

The term "naked" refers to the absence of a gi collar in the grip. Unlike collar chokes, the mata leao works with bare arms and is therefore equally effective in both gi and no-gi BJJ, as well as in mixed martial arts competition. It is often described as the highest-percentage finishing submission in grappling because the back is one of the strongest positions in BJJ and the choke itself has minimal counters once it is set correctly.

Do not confuse the rear naked choke with the rear collar choke (estrangulamento com gola), which uses the gi lapel from behind. Both are applied from back control, but the grip mechanics differ. This page covers the bare-arm mata leao only.

Setup and Prerequisites

The rear naked choke requires back control, specifically the position known as the "back mount" or "costas" in Portuguese, where you are chest-to-back with your opponent and have both hooks inserted. Without back control you cannot finish the choke cleanly, so securing the position is the first prerequisite.

The most common routes to back control include:

  • Taking the back from a turtle position after a failed single-leg or scramble
  • Back take from the guard, particularly from a failed triangle or sweep that exposes the back
  • Capitalising on a forward roll or sprawl that leaves your opponent briefly face-down
  • Seat belt roll from half guard or butterfly guard

Once you have back control, the immediate priority is the seatbelt (cinto de seguranca) grip: one arm over the opponent's shoulder, one arm under their opposite armpit, hands clasped at their chest. This grip maintains chest-to-back contact, limits their ability to turn to face you, and sets up the transition to the mata leao. If your opponent begins escaping before you have the seatbelt, focus first on controlling their far shoulder and reestablishing hooks rather than rushing the choke.

A key technical prerequisite is body position. Keep your hips pressed against your opponent's hips (not their upper back) and your chest flat against their back. If you sit too high, your hooks lose leverage and your opponent can hip-escape more easily. You should also keep your own chin tucked to protect it from accidental back-of-the-head contact.

Step-by-Step Execution from Back Control

  1. Establish back control with both hooks. From behind your opponent, insert your heels into their inner thighs (hooks) and flatten your chest against their upper back. Your hips should be level with their hips. Keep your body tight to prevent them rolling forward to escape.
  2. Secure the seatbelt grip. Reach one arm over your opponent's near shoulder (top arm) and thread the other arm under their far armpit (bottom arm). Clasp your hands at the centre of their chest. This is the cinto de seguranca (seatbelt). Keep your chest pressed firmly to their back throughout.
  3. Slide the choking arm across the throat. Release the seatbelt grip and slide your top arm horizontally across your opponent's throat. Your forearm blade (the bony edge near the wrist) should rest against their far carotid artery, with your elbow pointing straight down in front of them. The arm position is similar to sliding a tray from a shelf.
  4. Prevent the chin tuck. As your choking arm crosses the throat, your opponent will almost certainly tuck their chin to block it. Use your rear hand to push the back of their head forward, which lifts the chin. Alternatively, press the back of your wrist against their cheek and rotate their head before the arm slides across.
  5. Lock the figure-four and apply pressure. Once the choking arm is across the throat, bring your rear hand up to the back of their head (or grip your own bicep for a tighter lock). Grip the bicep of your rear arm with your choking hand. Squeeze your elbows toward each other, press your chest forward, and extend your hips slightly. The forearm compresses one carotid, the bicep compresses the other. Apply pressure smoothly and consistently rather than in a single violent crank.

Common Mistakes

  • Choking the windpipe instead of the carotids. Placing your forearm across the centre of the throat (larynx) rather than the side of the neck produces a painful but slow air choke. It also risks trachea injury to your training partner. The forearm should sit along the carotid groove to the side of the throat, with the elbow pointing downward.
  • Not preventing the chin tuck. Skipping the chin-lift counter and forcing your arm under a tucked chin is ineffective and encourages your partner to simply wait out a weak attempt. Always address the chin before committing to the final figure-four.
  • Losing the hooks before the choke is set. Many practitioners abandon their hooks when sitting up to apply the choke. Without hooks, your opponent can hip-escape or roll and escape back control entirely. Keep hooks active until the choke is tight enough that escape is not realistic.
  • Clasping hands instead of gripping the bicep. Interlocking fingers produces a weaker lock than the figure-four. Grip the bicep of your rear arm with your choking hand for maximum leverage and a tighter squeeze.
  • Sitting too high on the opponent's back. If your hips are near their shoulder blades rather than their hips, your leverage is poor and your hooks are ineffective. Stay hips-to-hips.
  • Rushing the finish before the position is stable. Transitioning from seatbelt to choking arm before your position is tight often results in your opponent turning to face you or rolling. Take a moment to confirm your hooks are in and your chest is flat before starting the choke entry.

Variations and Follow-Ups

The mata leao has several variants depending on how the opponent defends or what angle you are attacking from.

Body-triangle variation: Instead of both hooks, you lock a body triangle (triangle de corpo) around the opponent's waist, with one shin across their belly and the other locked behind their far knee. This is a tighter control position than two hooks in many scenarios, particularly against flexible opponents who can strip hooks. Under IBJJF rules, the body triangle still scores 4 points for back control.

Arm trap variation: If your opponent is defending with both hands gripping your choking forearm, use your rear hand to trap one of their arms against their own body before applying the figure-four. This removes one defensive hand from the equation.

Rear naked choke from turtle: When your opponent is in turtle position (on all fours), you can apply the mata leao directly without inserting hooks, using your body weight from the top. This is a useful short-notice opportunity but should be transitioned to full back control for the cleanest finish.

Follow-up to mount escapes: If your opponent successfully completes a bridge-and-roll to escape back control, they may end up in your guard or you may end up in their guard. Refer to mount escapes for the defensive transitions that matter most here. If the choke is defended and your opponent creates space, you can also transition to a collar choke (gi) or take their back a second time from a scramble.

For further reading on finishing submissions from dominant positions, see the submissions overview and the broader techniques index.

Competition Context

Under IBJJF rules, taking the back with two hooks scores 4 points, the joint-highest positional score alongside mount. Back points are awarded after three seconds of control are maintained. A successful rear naked choke submission ends the match immediately.

The IBJJF classifies the mata leao as a choke (blood choke) and it is permitted at all belt levels and age divisions, including juveniles and white belt. There is no restriction on the rear naked choke analogous to, for example, the restrictions on heel hooks at lower belt levels.

Under ADCC rules, the mata leao is fully legal in all divisions. The no-gi format of ADCC means the technique is applied identically to no-gi BJJ competition. The rear naked choke is consistently one of the most common submission finishes at ADCC events, reflecting its reliability when back control is established at the highest levels of competition.

In no-gi submission-only competition (including events held in Thailand such as local open-mats and regional invitationals), the rear naked choke is typically the most common submission finish overall. If you compete regularly, developing a reliable mata leao from back control should be a priority regardless of your preferred game.

Drilling Suggestions

Drill the choke entry from the seatbelt in sets of ten repetitions per side, with your partner cooperating at first. Focus on the smooth slide of the choking arm across the throat and the feeling of the forearm landing on the carotid groove rather than the windpipe. Once the arm position is consistent, add the chin-lift counter to the drill.

Positional sparring from back control is the most efficient way to build a reliable finish. Start your training partner in full back control (both hooks in, seatbelt established). The top player's goal is to finish the rear naked choke within 90 seconds. The bottom player's goal is to escape back control entirely. Rotate roles after each round. This format builds both the attack chain for the choker and the defensive prioritisation for the person escaping.

A secondary drill pairs the choke entry with the body-triangle. Start from seatbelt, transition to the mata leao attempt, and if the opponent's chin is tucked and the choke is blocked, switch to the body triangle and reset. This builds the habit of maintaining dominant position even when the preferred finish is being defended.

For solo drilling, practise the figure-four lock on your own knee or thigh, focusing on the bicep-grip rather than the interlaced-fingers version. Squeeze and hold for two to three seconds, then release. This builds the grip endurance required to maintain the choke while your opponent defends.

Frequently Asked Questions

The rear naked choke is called mata leao (lion killer) in Brazilian Portuguese. You may also see it written as RNC in shorthand. The term "naked" in English refers to the fact that no gi collar is used; it is a bare-arm choke applied from back control.
Yes. Under IBJJF rules, the rear naked choke (mata leao) is a blood choke and is legal at all belt levels, including white belt. It targets the carotid arteries rather than the airway and does not involve any joint lock, so it carries no additional restriction at any age or division.
In wrestling, the rear naked choke is sometimes called a "sleeper hold" and the grip mechanics are similar. In MMA, the same technique is applied, but practitioners must also protect against elbows and be aware of striking defence from back position. In pure BJJ competition, there are no strikes to contend with, so the focus is entirely on securing the position and finishing the choke cleanly.
A blood choke targeting the carotid arteries is faster and safer than an air choke on the windpipe. Carotid pressure causes loss of consciousness in approximately four to ten seconds by reducing blood flow to the brain. Windpipe pressure is painful, slower to work, and carries a risk of trachea injury. Correct rear naked choke technique uses the forearm on one carotid and the bicep on the other to compress both simultaneously.
The seatbelt grip (cinto de seguranca) is the standard back control configuration where one arm goes over the opponent's shoulder and the other goes under their opposite armpit, with the hands clasped at their chest. It prevents your opponent from turning to face you, maintains your chest-to-back connection, and sets up the transition to the rear naked choke grip. Losing the seatbelt usually means losing back control.
Defence starts as early as possible. The priority order is: (1) prevent your opponent taking your back entirely; (2) if they take your back, prevent the seatbelt; (3) if the seatbelt is established, tuck your chin immediately and pull down on the choking forearm with both hands; (4) try to turn into your opponent and work to face them. The deeper the choke is set, the harder it is to defend, so early recognition is critical.
Rather than forcing your arm through the tucked chin, use the rear hand to push the back of their head forward, which lifts the chin slightly. You can also apply pressure with the back of your wrist against their cheek to rotate their head before sliding the choking arm across. In competition, disguise your intention by settling into the seatbelt for a moment before transitioning to the choke entry.
You can attempt the rear naked choke with one hook, but your back control is significantly weaker. Under IBJJF rules, back control with two hooks is required to score 4 points. If you only have one hook and your opponent manages to turn, you may lose position. Always aim to establish both hooks before transitioning to the finish.
Yes, the rear naked choke is equally effective in gi and no-gi BJJ. In the gi, the collar and lapel provide additional grip options (such as a collar choke from the back), but the bare-arm mata leao remains a reliable finish when those grips are not accessible. Back control mechanics and hook placement are identical in both formats.
When both carotid arteries are fully compressed, unconsciousness can occur in approximately four to ten seconds. Recovery is typically rapid once pressure is released, within seconds. This is why tapping early is essential. In training, release the choke the instant your partner taps or verbally signals. Never hold a rear naked choke on an unresponsive partner.
Under IBJJF rules, taking the back with both hooks in place scores 4 points, the joint-highest positional score alongside mount. Points are awarded after three seconds of control are maintained. A successful rear naked choke submission from back control ends the match immediately, regardless of the score at that moment.
Three drills build a reliable finish: (1) choke entry repetitions where you practise sliding from seatbelt to choking-arm position on a cooperative partner, focusing on the elbow-drop motion; (2) partner drills where the defender tries to chin-tuck and you practise the head-push counter; (3) timed positional rounds starting from back control, with the top player tasked only with finishing the rear naked choke and the bottom player defending for 60 to 90 seconds before roles switch.